Tucson

Introduction

Tucson is a city in southern Arizona. It lies about 120 miles (190 kilometres) to the southeast of the state's capital, Phoenix, and 60 miles (100 kilometres) from the Mexican border. It is the second largest city in the state, with around 550,000 inhabitants.

Sights and Activities

Giant Saguaro cactus, Saguaro National Park

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The Saguaro National Park was created to preserve the Giant Saguaro cacti, which only grow in the Sonoran Desert. The park consists of two districts: the Tucson Mountain District, west of Tucson, and the Rincon Mountain District, east of Tucson. There are over 165 miles (over 250 kilometres) of hiking trails throughout the park.

Events and Festivals

La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, or Celebration of the Cowboys, was established in 1925. The festival coincides with the Tucson Rodeo, and occurs in mid-February.

Weather

Tucson has hot summers and temperate winters. Tucson has a desert climate, which is not based on the amount of percipitation alone, but is also due to its high evapotranspiration. Summers are characterized by low humidity, clear skies, and daytime temperatures that exceed 100 °F. The average overnight temperature ranges between 66 °F and 85 °F. In Winter the average daytime temperature is 64 °F, with nighttime temperature, dropping below 40 °F. The least amounts of percipitation falls in april, may and june, while july and august has the most.

Getting There

By Plane

Tucson International Airport (TUS) offers flights to/from Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston, San Francisco and Phoenix.

By Train

Two trains operated by Amtrak stop in Tucson:

• The Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Los Angeles.
• The Texas Eagle travelling between Chicago and Los Angeles. The train operates daily between Chicago and San Antonio, Texas, but only three times a week continues from San Antonio to Los Angeles.

By Car

Tucson is located along the I-10 between Phoenix and New Mexico. Between Tucson and Phoenix the I-8 branches of towards California. The I-19 goes southwards towards the border with Mexico.

By Bus

Check Greyhound buses for options.

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

Sleep

Learn

• University of Arizona, Tucson

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are post offices in every small and large town for sending packages internationally or domestically. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.